Digitizing the Musical Performance

The primary way that the digital revolution has effected the field of music performance is that it has given artists the ability to change their sound almost effortlessly whenever they want.  This ability has given rise to many new types of music and is a large part of almost every band in recent years.  Have you ever been to a concert or watched one on TV and thought that the stage looked almost like a computer control room? Did you ask yourself what is all that technology doing on the stage.  What are all those boxes and control panels, and what is that thing that the lead guitarist keeps stepping on?  The answer can be summed up with two words: digital effects.  All of those fancy toys on stage are what gives the band their sound, and they reconfigure them or use different effects for almost every song.  With the stomp of a foot a guitarist can change from a sweet, pure tone (think John Mayer's Gravity) to heavy, aggressive, over-driven sound (think Back in Black by AC/DC) simply because the technology allows for the change in the sound.  One of the most famous guitarists known for his use of effects in his playing is The Edge from the legendary band U2, and in the following video he discusses how greatly an awesome effect can add style and overall coolness to his music.  This is a great example of how digital effects have made an impact on the performance of music.